Odds
by bonnibelbubblegum
Summary: She's lost. She's lost him in a game she never intended on playing. /One-sided Advance. Pearl, Contest.


**Odds**

**"She lost. She lost him in a game she never intended on playing."**

World: Anime

Character(s): May/Haruka

Pairings: Contest. One-sided Advance. Pearl, minor hints of one-sided Ikari, Twinleaf, Penguin, blahdeblahblah.

Notes: Ages/ around twenty-two ish for Ash. Each generation is one year younger. [Misty, same. May, 20. Dawn, 19. Iris, 18, etc.] Brock is five years older.

More notes:** I HAVE NO IDEA WHERE THE HECK THIS CAME FROM, I KNOW THIS IS SO LAME AND I DON'T BLAME YOU FOR NOT REVIEWING, ETC. GOODNIGHT PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN EST.**

xox

She's betting on the other girl to win.

Heck, she_ wants _the other girl to win.

At first, she's sneaking around, trying to get them together. They're her friends, she reasons. And they would be so cute together.

And at first, the two are awkward and hesitant. They haven't seen each other in forever- none of the people in the room have. They've gathered there for the sake of seeing old friends again.

So she's talking to the redhead about what's been going on so far. Both girls watch as the bluenette awkwardly tries to start a conversation with the boy. He's flustered, not sure what to say.

He's stunned by her beauty. They can all see that, and the two friends grin broadly at each other upon realization. The bluenette doesn't get it- she doesn't see that she's gorgeous, she doesn't know that the eyes of the boys who once saw her as just a friend follow her as she walks, even the coldhearted Veilstone trainer, and her hasty neighbor from her childhood.

She's a bit envious, but she knows better than to act that way. This is one of her best friends- she should support her. So she plots a grand scheme to get them together. The redhead agrees to it right away, but the violet haired girl with the love for dragons questions her motives.

You could be with him, the dragon tamer first suggests. She shrugs her off, pretending to be horrified at the suggestion.

Her argument is that they're only friends, that she's not interested in that kind of relationship, and besides, he's a better match off with the stunning bluenette.

The wildchild's not convinced, but she agrees to help anyways.

And the game begins, but she doesn't realize it.

At first, they start off small- if by small you could say ambushing them into being trapped into a closet together stuffed with leftover mistletoe.

She briefly wonders where it came from, but the bluenette's friend, a redhaired fellow coordinator, explains with a smug smile that she has her ways. She's not sure she wants to find out.

The couple emerges from the closet, blushing madly and not looking at each other. Examining them closely, (from a distance, of course,) she can confirm they've kissed- but only on the cheek. Time to step up their game, perhaps.

And so they round up the rest of the group and explain their situation. Most of them eagerly jump at the chance, particulary the girl with the Swinub who looks overjoyed for her bluenette friend. Some of them aren't too interested- the hyper blond guy and the male coordinator, two of the bluenette's childhood friends.

She threatens them with the mistletoe room. They can't exactly say no.

And so begins the grand scheme to get the couple together. She sends them off to their stations, and within the course of a half hour the mission goes off without a hitch.

For some reason she can't really explain, she has this pain in her heart- but she brushes it off. Her friends come first before her own worries.

She watches with a pair of binoculars as the couple stumble around outside, laughing wildly as the sprinklers on the lawn go off, and a pang echoes in her heart again.

That's when she realizes it.

Oh, Rayquaza.

She's in love with him.

xox

She's not screwing this up for them.

She won't.

At least, that's what the logical part of her says, but the irrational, lovesick and about to be heartbroken side of her tells her to fight for him. That stupid, hardheaded, stubborn part of her is what's causing her to run down the hallway, past the redhead who just watches sadly as she runs past. Past the Pewter trainer who has been with the boy since the beginning, who watches with understanding in his eyes. Past the Veilstone trainer, who shakes his head in disgust. Past the violet haired wildchild who doesn't look surprised. And past one last figure who watches her, looking stunned as she brushes past him.

Into the garden.

She's too late.

They're dancing to no music, alone at the pavilion atop the nearby hill. Gold fairy lights twinkle on the roof of the gazebo. The bluenette looks like she's in heaven as she twirls in his arms. Her dark sapphire hair shines in the moonlight, azure eyes alit with happiness. Her baby pink dress floats around her like petals, and she's a beautiful flower finally given the chance to bloom.

He's finally serious for once, eyes locked on his partner's as they engage in a slow waltz. His chocolate eyes shimmer with content, his spiky black hair blending into the girl's as he whispers in her ear.

She's lost.

She should have realized it sooner. But no, she had to be the nice girl. The goody-two-shoes who always puts her friends first, the stupid idiot who let the one guy she's ever really liked get away from her, to _her best friend _of all people. The heartbroken young woman who looks absolutely pathetic, crying over someone else's happiness, makeup streaming down her face.

Growling in frustration, she muffles a scream as she collapses behind a nearby tree. She wishes that once, just once, she could be selfish. That she could be rude, mean. That she could have the courage to march up there, rip him out of her grasp and kiss him and tell him how much she loved him and how much she needed him and how she always felt that empty space in her heart when she was in Johto and he was off in Sinnoh with _her._

She wanted to tell him how much he meant to her when they split that Contest Ribbon. How Jack Walker chose _him_ to talk to her about her surrogate son because he knew that they were the closest. That she would listen to him. She wanted to tell him about how back when they were young and naive and travelling together, that special week under a gorgeous comet was spent with her wishing he knew everything.

That they could be together forever.

But she know she can't, because she's their best friend, the nice girl, the listener, the one willing enough to sacrifice for others. Slowly, her sobs subside and she dares to glance back towards the pavilion as she picks herself up and dusts off.

And then she realizes that she can't look- she can't stand to see exactly how happy they are together.

She lost.

As she runs away, she stumbles on the rocky path and falls to her knees, letting out a meek whimper. She has a cut, and she's bleeding. She winces as she tries to stand up, but a hand reaches out to help her. Looking up, sapphire eyes meet emerald and a smirk crosses the newcomer's lips. She gapes openly at him, not expecting to see him there.

With a fond twinkle in his eyes, he helps her up, and pulls a rose from behind him to offer her. She accepts it, and they stroll back towards the house, hands brushing slightly as they go.

Behind them, a happy couple gazes into each other's eyes, blissfully unaware of all that has happened seemingly moments ago. At the window of the house, the redhead grins broadly at her, and the wildchild smirks. The Pewter boy smiles in spite of himself, and the younger brother pumps his fist in victory.

She's lost him. But truthfully, she realizes as her partner strolls ahead of her and opens the door for her, mockingly bowing to her as he does, she doesn't really mind. She grins sheepishly, suddenly feeling like that foolish ten year old girl she was years before, as he kisses her hand when she passes him in the doorway.

She's lost the game.

Or has she?


End file.
